The technology described herein relates generally to cooling circuits for airfoils, and more particularly to such cooling circuits for use in turbine airfoils for gas turbine engines.
Many gas turbine engine assemblies include cooling circuits in rotating airfoils, such as high pressure or low pressure turbine blades, and/or non-rotating stationary airfoils, such as high pressure or low pressure turbine nozzles.
During operation, comparatively cooler air is supplied to the airfoil in order to maintain the temperature of the material from which the airfoil is made below the melting or softening temperature. Typically airfoils are cooled either by an impingement circuit, where the post impingement air flows axially out of the airfoil, or a serpentine circuit where the flow direction is primarily radial and cools by means of forced convection
There remains a need for improved cooling circuits which will provide cooling to an airfoil in a robust and economical fashion.